The Matrix Renaissance
by Crazy In 88
Summary: Based on the Hit trilogy. The Animatrix-The Matrix Reloaded. Sorry, they never actually enter the matrix. Takes place in the Pre-War real world.


The Matrix Renaissance  
  
Seventeen year old Kenyame had a simple, peaceful life in the world of 2973. Of course, that was much before the creation of Zero-one. Taken for granted was her lands beauty and the ability to have no rules but the peace- enforcing ones that went without saying. Her strength and mature beauty were things only a blind man could not see. She led a normal life, had a boyfriend, two close friends. She had the knowledge of a thousand masterminds and mathematicians; it showed in that she was computer programmer and engineer.  
  
She sat at home one day, bored, staring from her kitchen into the screen of the living room television, showing blue static. She had olive toned skin. Her hand was on her brow, her hair, the front white, the rest brown, piecy and spiky, cascading across her hand. She walked over to it, then to her closet to get the tools. Her mother, wearing a long red robe and holding a mug of coffee blocked it away from her. "Kenyame, you are a helluva good engineer, but this is the new plasma screen. It cost me eight hundred fifty dollars. Do not touch it." "It's broken anyway," she replied. Her mother grabbed the remote and hit VCR off. She threw it back on the lazyboy. "There. It's fine. You need something to fix, fix your room. It's atrocious." Kenyame mimicked her with sarcastic lip motions and walked to her room. She plopped down on her futon.  
  
In a flash the next day came. She ate her breakfast in peace and went to school. In English class that day, they finished a story they read, entitled "Soul of the Sleeping". "This great novel was written by a great author, Marquis DeLoin in 2021. Even though it is old, I have a great appreciation for it," her teacher said. He was cut off after a brief pause to say more by Kaamren, Kenyame's beau. "The idea of an illusion labyrinth being created is very likely," he said. The class laughed. "Laugh while you can, but if this happens you won't want to." While the class laughed at his thinking, Kenyame didn't. Her eyes expressed thought as she sat silently. "Isn't that crazy, baby?" Kaamren asked her. "It is, no doubt," she said in a serious tone. "I bet he was on that good shit," he said, addressing the classroom and mimicking the motion of a joint to his lips. Kenyame had to laugh, as did the class. "Well, lucky for you, you have to write a paper on it. Any topic, as long as it is school appropriate." The class groaned as one.  
  
She talked to the teacher afterwards. "I think you made a good point today." "Thanks. Good to know someone listens to me," her teacher replied. "I apologize on his behalf," she said. "That's ok. You know, you guys have a lot more things in difference than you do in common. I mean, you're a genius and he's sub-par. How do you stay with him?" "He is good to me. But anyway, about that paper, is there anything else I can do? I hate writing. Just-I'll tune up your car-- anything." He could tell where the conversation was going and was busy shaking his head the minute she started. "No way Kenyame. No bribes." "Can I - baby-sit, perhaps?" "I said no. Go home, do the paper, on my desk Wednesday. That's the deal." She left, one strap of her bookbag on her shoulder, holding it there as she walked outside. She went home with Kaamren that day, after he refused to be turned down from giving her a ride.  
  
They came in her house, kissing wildly, her pulling back to talk him down. "This happens every time you take me home, baby," she said one they hit her bed. They kissed again. "I love you." "Do you really love me, or do you just say that?" she asked, looking deep into his eyes, touching his smooth handsome face. "I don't need to lie to you, baby," he said, and lifted her up by the hips as if she weighed no more than a pound.  
  
Soon it was over, her lying on top of him under the long throw, drowsy. They kissed again, more passionately. Her lids were droopy. She pushed gently against him. "You should go. My mom can't see us here like this." "Doesn't she know after all the times before?" "Kaamren, please, just go. My mom wouldn't let us see each other again." He got up and dressed. "Fine," he huffed. "You always act like this. It's not a big deal okay? I still love you," she said, and gave him an innocent kiss. She hugged him, covered only by the sheet. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay baby?" He shrugged. They held each other again and he smiled slightly, realizing how lucky he was to have her. He left and she involuntarily waved even though he couldn't see her.  
  
She closed her door and put on a long baggy sweater.. She sat in her computer desk, a huge blue screen in front of her, practically attached to the wall. She hit a triangle key and it loaded. She clicked on Microsoft Word and the computer spoke. "What template would you like?" in an overly perky twenties-wife voice. She clicked on blank template. "What will you be typing?" it asked again. She clicked on voice off and then chose other. She waited an impatient moment for it to load. Her fingers moseyed on the keyboard, with a tone of drudgery. She saved it, shut the computer down and slept.  
  
Days later she turned the paper in. "This paper-is really good. I knew you'd make a good grade." "It wasn't hard. Once I thought about it, it flowed." The paper was in the lights direction, the title read "Simulation Reality."  
  
"How'd you do on that paper?" Yazmeni, her android friend asked. She had black hair in a short angled-crop, the shorter side showing a silver circular jack where her ear should be, similar to that on back of the people who were in the matrix and gray eyes "Good. I didn't even really want to do it. For once a teacher turned down an alternate offer." "Well lucky for me I had a test on that novel. The grading scale was as harsh as that of two final grades." "Ouch. Sucks to be you Yazmeni." "Sucks to be you. Having to sneak around with Kaamren and having a hard job." "Hey, I'm gettin' paid and that's what matters. I'll be able to retire early while you won't." She stuck out her tongue to mock. "Are you even thinking about college?" "Don't have to. The universities think for me. That new S class Versatran? Courtesy of UCLA thank you very much." "No way," Yazmeni replied, wiping her hands against each other. Kenyame took out her handheld car lock. It had a large button on the front. She flipped it over. The insignia was of what she just said. She put it back in her pocket once she saw. "So are you going there or are you just milkin' 'em?" "I'll consider them, 24 on a list of a couple hundred." she replied. They laughed.  
  
The next year though, things gradually changed. Yazmeni and Kenyame grew apart a bit, yet still friends with deep roots. Then something big happened.  
  
"Kenyame, there was a rebel worker today." "Yeah I heard. They sent us all home early." "It's been on every channel." She watched the news, horrified. "Today, in the once peaceful streets, a machine committed a murder. B166ER killed both its masters and fled to the streets. Just an hour ago police found him and threw him in jail. There is talk of his kinds genocide." They both shook. Kenyame turned it off. "News is for people who want to hear bad news. It's never good." "Kenyame, this is a HUGE deal. Everything will change. Don't you realize that no matter what you do you cannot stop the reality of what is going on?" "I realize that. I wish I didn't have to. I'll be in my room."  
  
The next day at school, Yazmeni wasn't there. Kenyame, among the entire student body, had been notified that any machines attending the school had been expelled. B166ER's case had been analyzed the day before, and he, among all his kind, was wiped out. This made Kenyame sad, knowing that Yazmeni's God and Grandparents had been killed. The killings were inhumane and organized at the same time. In lines and rows, they'd been shot, sliced, whichever death the soldiers killing them thought fit. She watched, mortified of the killings that were so highly publicized. She watched as her dear friend, Yazmeni was shot and abused during the machines "revolution" and cried, sad that her hand touching the screen would not avail her. Kaamren held her as she cried, stroking her hair and reminding Kenyame that she still had her life ahead of her.  
  
And within another years time they'd all been outcast to a land they named Zero-one. The land was rich with both money and strength. Each time the leaders pled to be heard on a peace agreement they were denied. Kaamren, who was still with Kenyame, was in the army of flight crafts that carried out Dark Storm. They were never able to see the sky again, but they knew it was still there. Unfortunately, the mission did not carry out it's desired effect. It only made things worse for the two adversaries.  
  
The war hit and every man that was eighteen and under fifty fought in it. They were all wounded, and Kaamren lost his vision.  
  
Kenyame visited him in the care unit. She kissed his hand, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Is that you, Kenyame?" "Yes, it's me," she replied, her lips trembling, looking at his face that was just as handsome as it was, a wrap over his eyes. "I know what you're doing right now. I don't need vision to know. Don't cry for me." He wiped her eyes with his wrapped hand, which was cut and damaged, somehow knowing the way to her cheek. "May I ask how it happened?" His eye wrap was tinted a neon red from the blood. "A bullet. All I saw was a flash, this thing grazing my face." She comforted him, holding his hand. "Do you think you'll be coming home with me?" He smiled. "Yes. I'm fine. I'm still here. At least I got a chance to give 'em hell." She somewhat laughed, the tears still raining. "I can't believe it came to this." "Believe it. We all have to be strong. It's obvious the machines want to weaken us." She held her face, crying a moment. He felt around to her hand. "Do you remember the way you were before all of this happened?" She nodded slightly. "I need you to stay that way. Never lose hope, none of us can afford to. If I were to die, you'd still be alive. I need your word you won't give up hope." "You're going to die?" "No." He huffed slightly. "Promise." She looked up, and touched his scarred face. "I promise." He held her as she struggled to stop crying. "No more tears," he whispered.  
  
Within the next few days, humans were selectively told to evacuate to Zion. Since the entire human race could not fit there, only ones who were of use in possibly another war were notified. Kenyame was. And even though they lived together, Kaamren was not. She sat with a scrutinizing look on her face, biting her nails as she read it. "Bring only what you can carry. Notify us if there are any problems with transportation there." Kaamren walked over to where she was at the table. "What's wrong?" "Nothing. Start packing. We're going to Zion." "Isn't that the underground city?" "Yes."  
  
Kenyame made reservations for Kaamren to go there. The leaders of Zion had a problem with it. "If you have enough space for me, surely you have enough for him." "But Kenyame, we chose you, not him." "He needs to live there, some place peaceful. I could survive out here if I needed to." "The point is that you won't have to." "Well my point is that I will trade my spot for him. Surely that is a simple concept." "Are you sure?" "Positive." "Ok. Bye." She wished she could've gone there as well, but she didn't need to. They called again. "Look, we understand your point in this matter. You can still come." "That's good to know," she said, beginning to walk to her car.  
  
She drove there, followed by sentinels. She sped up but they kept following. She went up a pipe and they were still behind her. One came in close to her; she blocked them with her elbow, as it tore the top off her car. A bomb came at her, she kept going until it made contact with her car, then she jumped out and landed low, on one knee. "Oh God," she said, watching them in their line formation behind her. She ran, knowing they would probably catch her. At one point there were some in front of her as well. She jumped to a wall, climbing quickly to the pipe's opening. One caught her by the foot and she gasped as she fell back. It was on top of her, its sharp claws near killing her. She stuck her hand inside to its wiring and pulled it out. She grabbed its power unit out, shutting it down, then threw it as she dove up, flying as it exploded, the blast killing the other ones as well. She slowed as she went the rest of the way, but it was a bigger party this time. One came behind her, She kicked it, her leg going higher than her head, the rest of her body low. It fell back on the other ones, stopped them and she kept running. Horrified for a moment, she saw a gun lying there next to a dead persons remains. She pumped the pressure gage and shot, it came out like a laser-thrower, and she yelled as she fought to keep hold of it despite its high pressure. It soon was out of ammo and she ran, only one squiddy left behind her. The gate opened and she rolled in, the sentinel blocked out. It screeched as the door closed and left it outside. She walked backwards, breathing like an Olympian. In front of her was a guard wearing a war suit, and she mistook it for a sentinel and passed out.  
  
She woke up on a bed, a medic holding a hot-water bag over her forehead. Dizzy, she looked around the room. One side of her face was now scarred, from her eye down in a line. She had on a black camisole, a brown strap around her shoulders as a pack, and black pants her ripped abs showing. She grabbed the woman's wrist. "Where am I?" she asked in a horse voice. "Zion. In detail, the medical unit." She sat up. "You're staying put here." "Where's Kaamren? He's here, right?" "Yes he's here. And like everyone else was worried about you. What happened?" "Sentinels. They almost killed me." "They weren't going to kill you." She got a snappy tone and said, "Well, what were they going to do." "You really wanna know?" "Hell yes." "They were gonna take you and insert you in the Matrix." "What's a Matrix?" "A computer-generated world. It's like-hacking into the human brain and making a mind accept a false reality. It makes energy for them." "You mean the machines?" "It's all a part of the war. That is why we evacuated everyone we could."  
  
She told what she'd heard to Kaamren, who didn't believe her. Then she asked, "Ever wonder where that teacher is?" "Enough mind games," he said. She unwrapped his eyes, which were now able to see somewhat but not a pretty sight, and showed him a computer. She hacked into the Matrix and showed him. He was yelling at someone named "Mr.Popper." "No way, he said." She looked up at his face and watched his expression as he zoomed in. "Still an English teacher," she retorted. "This is too weird." "Weird? Try crazy." There was a slight pause while she looked in his eyes, the ones she hadn't been able to see for almost three years. "Remember what he said? That it could happen? Now it has and now we believe. We should have listened before it came to this." "I hope he gets out."  
  
The sentinel reported to the rest and gave the details of where they were, and a plan was formulated for getting in. They knew what would come, but Morpheus reminded them, after years of fear that they were still alive and wouldn't give up their stand on the war. 


End file.
